Let’s get into a short review of the LEGO elements of the Portal Level Pack! That didn’t stop me from picking up the Portal Level Pack as I am a huge fan of the game and this is pretty much one of my dream LEGO licenses.
I don’t have a current-gen game console (I’m a PC gamer) so I won’t be able to comment or review the actual game itself. LEGO Dimensions represents the next evolution of LEGO’s efforts to remain relevant in an age where digital devices such as consoles & smartphones are one of the primary sources of entertainment for children. For those unfamiliar with LEGO’s history, the company has always been obsessed with “winning” the video game-crazy generation over. You can find him rambling about animals and Spelunky on Twitter.Last week, LEGO Dimensions launched with much fanfare, heralding a brand new era for LEGO as it seeks to blur the lines between digital and physical play.
For more on its Portal content, read our hands-on impressions from E3, plus look out for new impressions of additional levels from Gamescom very soon.įor more from Germany, be sure to visit our Gamescom hub, and find out everything there is to know about LEGO Dimensions in our Lego Dimensions wiki.Īndrew Goldfarb is IGN's executive editor of news and thinks the Chell LEGO figure is adorable. LEGO Dimensions will be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 27. The Portal 2 level pack will be available for purchase alongside LEGO Dimensions at launch and “you can dive right in without even playing the main game if you want,” according to Heder. Working with their writers to kind of check and make sure the voices were all authentic-sounding, and everything really felt like it belonged in the universe.” "They've been so excited to be a part of this project, and they've really opened up all the archives for us, and really been supportive on this. "They've supported us all the way," he added regarding Valve. The skill for these test chambers is obviously a little bit different in comparison, but Valve has been a fantastic partner." I hate to say this, because this is not trying to say anything, that is more test chambers than in a single Portal game. “We've got, between the main game and the level pack, eighteen unique test chambers. The Portal story content will feature multiple returning voice actors from the Portal series, including Ellen McLain as GLaDOS, Stephen Merchant as Wheatley, and Nolan North as various spheres and cores, plus “a few more surprises.” But, yeah, anybody who's a fan of the Portal games and have played it, they're going to recognize things there, and kind of go, ‘Hmm, what if this is where that story led?’” “The story has a lot of fun poking holes in itself, and sort of being self-referential and all that.
Heder says he sees the new Portal content as “sort of an unofficial continuation” of the events of the Portal universe. There's a sense of humor in every LEGO game, right? So, we try not to take ourselves too seriously.” There's a little bit of a nod and a wink. This is the LEGO universe, you know? Everything's done with a little bit of a tongue-in-cheek to it. “We don't make any pretense about what's canon and what's not. Our writers created it, although it's all been done with Valve's blessing,” Heder said. “We've worked really closely with Valve and all of our partners through this entire development process. We don't make any pretense about what's canon and what's not. Our writers created it, although it's all been done with Valve's blessing. So, you're getting a real, true LEGO Portal experience in that world.”Īccording to Heder, this story content was written by Traveler’s Tales and while it’s not necessarily canon, it’s all been done with Valve’s approval. “This is another nine plus test chambers, and now these, instead of being sort of focused around the Batman, Gandalf, and Wyldstyle powers and abilities from the main game, now these are specifically built around Chell and her portal device. “In addition to that adventure world, you also have a bespoke new Portal story level,” he continued.
“And, obviously Portal 2 being the most recent game to release, now things start to look a little bit more reflective of that state and where things kind of left off at the end of Portal 2.” “It's branded as Portal 2 Level Pack, and that's because we now have established that character in that world through the main game story, and now we pick up in the world where things have left off in that universe of Portal games,” Heder explained to IGN.